4th ODI preview: Show it will be India Eye series win for Iyer at Mount Maunganui

New Zealand’s formidable home record is on the line as India return to Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Friday, looking to seal a series victory that has eluded them since 2019. The hosts have won 11 successive ODI series at home since their 4-1 defeat to India, but a 2-0 deficit leaves Mitchell Santner’s side fighting to keep the contest alive. with the third ODI went off in HamiltonIndia need just one more win to clinch the five-match series.

The 4th ODI will start at 7:30 AM IST, the draw is scheduled for 7:00 AM. Sony Liv will provide the live coverage of the match while the TV coverage will be on Sony Sports Network.

For New Zealand, the challenge is as much about salvaging pride as protecting their home record. For India, it is a chance to underline their dominance in the series and flaunt their bench strength in the absence of Shubman Gill and KL Rahul.

But amid the bigger stakes, Shreyas Iyer will have a personal tour to deal with. With Gill leaving for the pre-Tests, Iyer will take charge of the final two ODIs. His vulnerability against short-pitched bowling is no secret, and Kyle Jamieson exposed it in Wellington, dismissing him for 30 with a short delivery. Now, as captain, Iyer will have to find answers with the bat while shouldering the responsibility of taking India over the line.

HAPPY HUNTING?

India have a favorable record at the Bay Oval, having won two of the three previous ODIs at the venue. Both wins came during their 2019 tour when they beat New Zealand by 90 runs and seven wickets. Their only defeat came in February 2020, when the hosts chased down India’s 297-run target, reaching 300 for five in 47.1 overs to win by five wickets.

The last ODI at the venue, played between New Zealand and England in October 2025, also offered a glimpse of the assistance available to fast bowlers. New Zealand bowled out England for 223 in 35.2 overs with Zakary Foulkes taking four wickets and Matt Henry taking two. Harry Brook’s 135 kept England in the contest but the hosts chased down the target in just 36.4 overs to win by four wickets.

The ongoing series features a significantly heavier racket. Strmé odrazy a pohyby švů znesnadnily vytváření úderů, přičemž ani jedna strana nepřekročila 200 ve směně ve dvou dokončených zápasech. New Zealand were bowled out for 185 in the first ODI, before India chased a revised target of 143 in 22.4 overs, finishing at 143 for five in a rain-reduced 32-over contest. In Wellington, the hosts managed only 134, but India found themselves in trouble at 113 for seven in 26 overs while chasing 135 when rain intervened. India won the contest by 4 runs by DLS method.

TEAM NEWS: BIG CHANGES FOR BOTH TEAMS

Can Shreyas Iyer fare better against the short ball? (AP photo)

Both teams will take to the field with significantly altered combinations after several players left to join their Test squads.

Siraj will be hoping to get some game time ahead of the Test series after warming the benches in the first three ODIs.

New Zealand has lost several established tests due to Test preparations. Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls and Glenn Phillips all left along with all-rounder Nathan Smith. The hosts will also be without Lockie Ferguson, who has been ruled out of the final two ODIs with a calf injury, while Blair Tickner is unavailable for the fourth match owing to the mandatory concussion stand-down period.

Finn Allen and Tim Seifert are expected to provide the firepower at the top, while Will Young, Nick Kelly, Mitch Hay and Dean Foxcroft will have important roles in a reshaped batting line-up. Experience in the middle order will be provided by Michael Bracewell and Santner. Matt Henry is expected to return after recovering from a head injury, while uncapped fast bowler Brett Randell has been called up for the final two matches and could make his international debut.

MOUNT MAUNGANUI WEATHER AND RANGE REPORT

Screenshot from AccuWeather

After three rain-affected matches, Mount Maunganui offers a welcome change in conditions. The latest forecast points towards partly cloudy skies, temperatures ranging between 12 and 22 degrees Celsius and little prospect of rain on Friday. So a full 100-over contest is on the cards.

The Bay Oval has traditionally offered pace and bounce, with the Mariners likely to find some help early in the innings. The recent struggles of both batting line-ups in New Zealand conditions also suggest that the new ball could be key. However, the surface can become easier for batting once players settle in, as New Zealand’s successful chase against England last year demonstrated.

EXPECTED PLAY XI

India: Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (capt), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj.

New Zealand

QUOTE CORNER

Auqib Nabi on adapting to New Zealand conditions:

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